Sure, PlayStation Plus subscribers are used to getting "free" games every month, but they haven't had any say about what the gratis titles would be. Until now. With Vote to Play, you'll have a chance to make your voice heard. PlayStation VP of platforms marketing John Koller writes on the PlayStation Blogthat the game with the most votes will automatically be added to the upcoming month's offerings, and that in the first round of voting the runner-up will be available at a discount. Pretty cool, huh? Exactly how the voting process will work (if there will be videos or whatnot to help make informed choices) isn't clear just yet, but Koller writes that more info is coming soon enough. The real question though is if you would've voted for Rocket League, the dark horse from last month's promo that's absolutely dominating the gaming conversation right now.

The Senate has voted overwhelmingly to reform the powers of America's security services, at the expense of renewing existing provisions of the Patriot Act. In a contentious debate leading up to midnight, the house belatedly opted to support the USA Freedom Act, which will eventually end the bulk collection of phone metadata. By opting not to extend the existing legislation, agencies such as the NSA and FBI will supposedly no longer have unfettered access to our phone records, be able to request "roving wiretaps" or seize business records for an investigation.

The UK's General Election is this Thursday, and if marking a cross next to your preferred MP fills you with pride, Facebook will soon make it easier to tell your friends and family. The company is introducing a special "I'm a Voter" button at the top of Brits' News Feeds, prompting you to write a status update that explains you've been to the polling station. The feature has been used for the last three US elections and the Scottish referendum -- not only does it publicise your own vote, but it could also nudge other people that have forgotten the date or been debating whether to vote at all. Channel 4, meanwhile, has already pledged to suspend its regular programming on E4 in order to encourage young people to vote. Neither company can force you to take part, but it's hoped these sorts of initiatives will improve voter turnout and create a more representative election.

If canvassers, flyers and TV debates weren't enough, Facebook is going to play its part in getting Brits to vote in this year's General Election. For tomorrow only, the social network will host the "largest ever voter registration campaign," its first in the UK, prompting eligible (read: adult) users to register to vote. Facebook is working with the Electoral Commission to place reminders in eligible users' Newsfeeds and will also add a new "Life Event" to profiles that will tell friends and family that they've registered.

The thinking behind this is clear: Facebook welcomes 35 million people every month, which is more than the number of people who voted in the 2010 General Election, when 29 million votes were recorded. By motivating Facebook-loving adults, the Election Commission hopes it can spur voter turnouts or even just remind people that it's now possible to register to vote online. If you're one of millions who use Facebook's official mobile apps, expect to see the following notice in your Newsfeed tomorrow:

We're barely seeing 4G take hold here in the States and the FCC has begun the process to push into 5G for mobile data. The government's communications council voted unanimously to start looking into accessing the higher-than-24GHz frequency spectrum that was previously thought to be, as Reuters notes, unusable by mobile networks. So what are the benefits? Gigabit internet connections on the go, for starters -- something our current sub-3GHz spectrum can't quite handle -- similar to the ones Samsung just tested. Yeah, now you're excited. The feds believe that using these "millimeter waves" would allow for higher bandwidth for more people and devices at speeds that outclass most homes' broadband.

Not sure where your local politicians stand in the upcoming US midterm election? You won't have to vote blind. Microsoft has followed in Google's footsteps by launching Bing Elections, its own tool for helping you make informed decisions at the voting booth. The search-based tool lets you know candidates' positions on the issues, details propositions on the ballot and predicts the outcomes for both congressional and gubernatorial races. It'll also help you find the nearest polling station if you're not certain where to go. No, the site won't let you escape aggressive campaign ads, but it may let you ignore them when it comes time to choose.

When a football soccer player wins a Man of the Match award, it's a recognition of their achievements during a particular game. Commentators and other pundits are often asked to decide which of the 22 players deserves that prestigious honor, but when it comes the biggest soccer show on earth, corporate sponsors have more of a say. During the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Budweiser, the tournament's official beer provider, will look to Twitter for inspiration. Four years ago, you may have cast your vote for the best player via the FIFA website, but this time around this Budweiser is hoping it can increase interaction with fans by getting you to cast your vote using the popular social network. At the start of the second half of each game, Twitter voting will open. You'll then be able to click on a photo of your chosen player and register your choice using the dedicated #ManOfTheMatch hashtag. Are Twitter users representative? What if they've been drinking when they vote? Could it be open to abuse? Who knows, but maybe it's worth noting that the selection process hasn't always been totally transparent.

Thousands of readers have voted for their favorite products in our 2013 Engadget Awards, and there's still time for those of you who haven't. Head here to pick from finalists across 12 categories, but be quick about it; voting closes at 11:59PM ET tonight. We'll be posting Readers' Choice results, along with our editors' picks, later this week.

We asked, and you delivered... a ton of nominations for your favorite products. We narrowed down your picks across 12 categories to the most popular choices, and they're now finalists for the Readers' Choice part of the 2013 Engadget Awards. Head past the break to weigh in -- you don't need to answer every question, but you're only allowed one pick per category. Voting will stay open until 11:59PM ET on Wednesday, March 19th. We'll give you a reminder or two before then, but why not just get to it now?

We'll soon be crowning winners in our annual Engadget Awards, but we need your input first. If you haven't answered our survey about the best products from 2013 yet, head here now. You'll be able to nominate your picks until 11:59PM ET tonight, March 7th, and then the real fun -- voting on our finalists -- will begin. Stay tuned!

We've announced our Best of CES 2014 finalists, and now it's time for you to cast your vote! Head here (or below) to pick your favorite from our pool of finalists -- you have until 6 PM EST tomorrow, January 9th, to make your voice heard.

Shazam's TV syncing has largely been passive so far, but it's about to become more of a two-way street. App users who watch The X Factor from November 6th onwards will get to both vote for acts during the broadcast and submit those choices as soon as final voting begins. As you'd expect, viewers enraptured by the performances will also have plenty of chances to buy songs and browse supplementary content as well. Shazam's new level of interaction won't be especially deep, but it certainly beats picking winners through old-fashioned calls and text messages.

Many have accused Azerbaijan's government of running a fake democracy, and the administration hasn't helped its image with its official election app for Android and iOS. Citizens who downloaded the client were surprised to get supposedly final election results a day before voting even began. As the results showed President Aliyev winning by a landslide, critics like Meydan TV were quick to cite the app as "proof" that the election was rigged; officials just revealed their ploy too quickly. There's no hard evidence to support the accusations, however. While few believe the developer's claims that it accidentally released 2008 data as part of a test (the candidates are from 2013), the software gives Aliyev a smaller lead than the official results show as of this writing. So, it appears that any ballot stuffing likely took place outside of the app, then. More than anything, the snafu underscores the importance of quality control -- in the wrong circumstances, a flawed app can result in more than just a few annoyed users.

Your nominations are in, but the vote is still out on the top tech of 2012. Not for long, though; you have until 11:59 ET on Monday, February 18th to cast that ballot -- and who wouldn't want a say in deciding this year's top smartphone, not to mention the worst gadget?

Head to our voting page to get in on the action, and check back in the coming days for the Readers' Choice results and our editors' picks!

We've counted up your Engadget Awards nominations, and now it's down to the finalists. Fifteen categories are up for grabs, and it's up to you to determine the top tech of 2012. The polls are open until 11:59 ET on Monday, February 18th, and we'll be posting the top readers' picks, along with our Editors' Choice awards, soon after.

It's election season and Google is doing its part to help you "rock the vote." No, the search kingpin isn't endorsing a specific candidate, instead it's doing what it does best -- help people search the internet for information. The company's open source Voter Information Tool is designed to help people research candidates and locate polling places. In an effort to reach the masses, Google is partnering with companies such as Foursquare and AT&T. Election Day can be a chaotic event to say the least. Hopefully this powerful new web-based tool will make things run a little smoother for frantic voters trying to beat the clock.

Washington state has commissioned a Facebook app to provide another avenue for its residents to register to vote. Officials will soon post the software, developed by local company Microsoft, on the Secretary of State's page and allow users to like it in order to spread the word. Once it's ready, residents looking at using it will need to allow Facebook access to their personal info and provide a driver's license number or state ID number, which the social network will use to put them on the voter rolls -- but it would have no access to government databases, according to an election director. The state's current online system already saves up to $2 per voter registration, so on top of getting more out to vote, the new effort should keep even more dollars in the coffers.

A vote on Facebook privacy rules prompted by 45,000 comments plastered on its governance page is likely to trigger consequences -- maybe some not intended. With Max Schrems' Our Policy site easily egging the number past the 7,000 threshold, the now-public social company must wait to see if 30 percent of its user base will object to the seemingly modest revisions. With the flock now numbering nearly 800 million, it seems unlikely that 230 million of them will bother to even vote, let alone strike the changes down. Given that and Facebook's privacy Czar Erin Egan saying that it will now revisit the vote policy, it's possible the only result will be a change in terms which could stymie future privacy efforts. Want to have your say? Check the more coverage link to find out where to go.

It's been a battle of epic proportions over a microscopic piece of plastic, but the warring sides appear to be working together to find a compromise. We're referring to the fight between Apple and a coalition formed by RIM, Motorola and Nokia as each group attempts to make their own nano-SIM design the ETSI standard. Neither entity has seemed willing to extend an olive branch and come up with any compromise -- until recently. RIM and Motorola have updated their design proposal in an effort to reach middle ground with Cupertino, and it appears that they were more than accommodating in the chip's refreshed look (seen above).

So how different can two nano-SIM designs be? Worlds apart, it turns out. For instance, RIM and Motorola have insisted from the beginning that a notch is necessary to allow for "push-push" mechanisms (push to lock the chip in place, push to pop it back out again); Apple, on the other hand, has been entirely anti-notch -- not a surprise, given the fact that the company uses SIM trays on the iPhone, therefore making the concept of a notch completely irrelevant. In its redesign, however, RIM and Motorola took elements from both sides of the fight and combined them. The new look retains Apple's simple rectangular style, but still makes room for a low-key notch on one side. It's difficult to say whether this move will be enough to gain the affection of Tim Cook's company and sway the vote -- Apple is still hard at work modding its own design, after all -- but it's nice to see both factions playing nice with each other prior to the next ETSI meeting on May 31st. Head to the source to see the difference between the original designs and the latest version.

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Fri, 18 May 2012 00:13:00 -040021|20240483http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/26/data-act-passes-house-vote/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/26/data-act-passes-house-vote/http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/26/data-act-passes-house-vote/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23commentsThe last time a proposed law captured our attention it was so widely loathed it was never even put to a vote, but today we bring you the kind of no-brainer legislation that seems to have strong support on both sides of the aisle. The US House of Representatives has passed the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA), a bill that calls for the creation of an independent board to log all federal spending on a single, centralized website. What's more, these expenses need to be recorded with identifiers and markup languages that make them more easily searchable. As Computerworld notes, the vote happens to come on the heels of a recent dust-up involving the US General Services Administration spending $823,000 on a conference in Vegas -- precisely the sort of excess this proposed website would be designed to expose. The next step, of course, is for the bill to win Senate approval, though for now it seems the legislation has garnered strong bi-partisan support: in a rare showing, all of the lawmakers who discussed the DATA Act on the House floor argued in favor of it.

French newspaper Les Échos is reporting that the key ETSI vote to determine whose nano-SIM patent should become the standard has been postponed. The participating companies have failed to reach agreement after Nokia refused to license key patents to Apple in exchange for free use of Apple's technology. As a consequence, the vote will be postponed for a minimum of thirty days.

Meanwhile, RIM has followed Émile Zola's example and screamed J'Accuse! at Apple, claiming that Cupertino is trying to rig ETSI's decision by registering its own personnel as representatives from Bell Mobility, SK Telekom and KT Corp. The BlackBerry maker has petitioned the standards agency to ensure that proxy voting is not allowed, in an effort to blunt Apple's alleged plan. You can read the full text of RIM's filing after the break.

Yesterday, we announced your selections for the 2011 Engadget Awards, and now we're back with our picks. Editors' Choice awardees are designated for each of the same 15 categories that you voted in earlier this month, but these results represent our own opinions, and are not influenced by your nominations. Naturally, there's some overlap here and there, but there are plenty of newcomers as well. As you can see in the teaser just below, we've included a brief summary for each product to give you an idea of what motivated our decisions, which you'll find just beside the rest of our favorite products once you click past the break.

Also, be sure to leave a comment for your chance to win an unlocked Galaxy Nexus -- courtesy of the folks at Negri Electronics. All the rules for entering await beyond the list of winners on the other side of the break.

The results for the 2011 Engadget Awards are in! With more than 250,000 total votes, the response this year has been tremendous -- and no, that's not just another name for the Galaxy Note, which garnered just 3.5 percent of tallies in the Smartphone category. Instead, the iPhone 4S took top prize for Smartphones, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S II as the runner up. The ASUS Zenbook was the first pick among this year's Laptops, with the Apple iMac besting the rest of 2011's Desktops. Canon and Nikon battled it out till the end, but the former eventually came out ahead, earning 17.9 percent of the Digital Camera vote for its T3i, while the Nikon D5100 represented a very respectable 17.6 percent. That's just a small sample of this year's top gadgets -- there are 15 categories in all, and we're crowning both Readers' and Editors' Choice winners for each. Jump past the break for an unabridged look at your selections for the 2011 Engadget Awards, and check back tomorrow for the Editors' Choice. And if you're wondering who came in almost-first place, you can find the runners up for each category in this week's issue of Engadget Distro.

Emmys? Check. Grammys? Check. Engadget Awards 2011? Almost there. Now that we've gone through the nomination process, it's time for you to let us know who deserves to be crowned king of its category, which in some special cases, might not be something to be completely proud of. The clock's ticking and you have until 11:59PM ET on Monday February 20th to drop your precious ballot in. We'll let you know soon thereafter who's walking away a winner and who's heading back to the shelves empty-handed, as well as who earned our Editors' Choice picks.

We've sorted through the nominations and now we're relying on you to determine the real tech winners from 2011. So, if your smartphone of choice didn't get all the love you hoped it would, hop on over to the voting page and cast your vote. Keep in mind you have until 11:59PM ET on Monday February 20th to let your voice be heard. Check back for the leading vote getters along with our Editors' Choice gadgets before the end of the month.